The high-speed product was originally available on mostly just the Quantum- and Oasis-class ships (i.e. Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas). In order for it to work, a dedicated Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite directed its connectivity beam right at each vessel.

There was no sharing that could potentially bog it down.

Now, every ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet touts VOOM, and it’s available in two tiers, either "Surf" or "Surf and Stream". As the names imply, Surf is ideal for simple web browsing while Surf and Stream dials it up to facilitate the likes of FaceTime, Skype and even Netflix—at least in theory.

We opted for the fastest connection which, with my discount as a Diamond member of the Crown & Anchor Society, came to a little over $17 per day for one device. Otherwise, it would’ve been closer to $20 per day. Admittedly, the full price is getting a little steep for a service that I believe should be and is by some lines—albeit at slower speeds—offered for free.

As a travel journalist, I need at the very least a relatively stable connection, and speed is usually a luxury at sea. VOOM managed to provide both pretty consistently. 98 percent of the time it worked flawlessly but, when it didn’t, it seemed to cut out entirely.

Using either our iPhones or my MacBook Pro, my wife and I were able to swiftly retrieve emails as though we were using a terrestrial connection. Both of our smartphones regularly uploaded photos to Instagram and Facebook with similar aplomb. The Twitter app is so poorly written that it puts a strain on any connection, but rarely did it ever pause on VOOM.

The real test was seeing whether or not the claims of streaming were indeed accurate. Amazingly, they were.

The Netflix app would take a couple of seconds to buffer before beginning playback. Once it did, it never faltered. Even while sailing, we could watch television shows or movies as we would at home. The only videos that hiccuped a bit more were those in our Facebook streams, but even those eventually played.

The connection was strongest inside the ship’s public venues and cabins. Our stateroom was actually where we did most of our internet testing. Our cabin balcony was where access was the weakest, and access also seemed to slow some in port. It’s possible nearby ships caused some interference.

Otherwise, Royal Caribbean’s VOOM is indeed an impressive internet connection, and I would attest that it is very likely the fastest overall I have experienced at sea. Of course, Carnival Cruise Line’s is a very close contender. Although it’s not as quick as either, Viking Cruises’ complimentary access is unbeatable for the price.

I await the day when some balance between the two exists. Internet should be available on all ships for free, with perhaps a high-speed option that can be purchased for a nominal premium.

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